Often compared in concept and design
with the Gloster Gladiator, against
which it frequently fought in 1940-1, the
Fiat CR.42 Falco (falcon) biplane did
not first fly until 1939, however, and
such an anachronism is difficult to
understand. Employing the same Warren
truss system of interplane struts as
the 1933 CR.32, from which it was developed,
Celestino Rosatelli's CR.42
was powered by a 626kW Fiat A74 R1C 38 radial and had a top
speed of 441km/h. By
September 1939 the Falco equipped
three stormi and, while the RAF was
hurriedly reducing its Gladiator
strength, the Regia Aeronautica was
increasing its CR.42 inventory, so that
when Italy entered the war in June
1940 there were 330 in service with
four stormi in the Mediterranean plus
two squadriglie in Italian East Africa.
The Falco first saw combat in the brief
French campaign, and later 50 aircraft
accompanied the Corpo Aero Italiano
to bases in Belgium for attacks on
southern England at the end of the Battle
of Britain, suffering heavily to the
guns of RAF Hurricanes. In the Middle
East the Falco fared better, however,
being more of a match for the widelyused
Gladiator; during the Greek campaign
one gruppo of three CR.42
squadriglie was committed and, except
on a few occasions, acquitted itself
well; but when Hawker Hurricanes
eventually arrived the Italian biplane
losses mounted steadily. In East Africa
51 crated CR.42s were received to
supplement the 36 aircraft delivered to
the 412a and 413a Squadriglie, but in
due course they were destroyed in the
air or on the ground, although they took
a heavy toll of the antiquated aircraft of
the RAF and SAAF. In the Western
Desert CR.42 fighters were joined by
the CR.42AS fighter-bomber version
adapted to carry two 100kg
bombs, and these continued in service
with the 5°, 15° and 50° Stormi Assalti
until November 1942. A total of 1,781
CR.42s was built (some serving in
Sweden and Hungary), but at the time
of the Italian armistice in September
1943 only 64 remained serviceable.

Specification

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MODEL

CR.42

CREW

1

ENGINE

1 x FIAT A.74 R1C 38, 626kW

WEIGHTS

Take-off weight

2295 kg

5060 lb

Loaded weight

1782 kg

3929 lb

DIMENSIONS

Wingspan

9.7 m

32 ft 10 in

Length

8.27 m

27 ft 2 in

Height

3.59 m

12 ft 9 in

Wing area

22.4 m2

241.11 sq ft

PERFORMANCE

Max. speed

430 km/h

267 mph

Ceiling

10200 m

33450 ft

Range

775 km

482 miles

ARMAMENT

2 x 12.7mm machine-guns

3-View

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A three-view drawing (662 x 1062)

Comments

Barry, 02.12.2010

Belgium received 34, Hungary at least 40 amd Sweden 72.The one off CR42B had a 1010 hp DB601A inverted vee engine which gave it a top speed of 323 mph reportedly making it the fastest ever bi-plane fighter!

ZR, 06.12.2008

Of course yes, it had a full throttle height of 3800m, where the Military Power output was about 618kW @ 2400rpm.The same engine was installed on the Macchi C200 and the Fiat G50